I'd been pleasantly surprised by this season up until the most recent episode. It was moving at a faster pace (not that slow is bad by default but they were doing it the wrong way) and the character stuff was actually interesting and advancing the plot now, rather than just pointless navel gazing. There was also far less of characters doing obviously stupid things. It was finally nice to see them having a main plot line that wasn't just running away from / fighting against another mean settlement. I think this new showrunner knew how to do the "let's rebuild the world" storyline without it being boring.

The last episode though felt like it was falling back into old bad habits. The whole Michonne arc seemed like a forced change on the character just to have the Negan stuff. Rick's actions at the crossroads seemed nonsensical and there was way too much "I'd die for you man" dialogue, right after having a brutal fistfight.

I suppose there's only so many plotlines you can have in the world they've created, essentially fighting other survivors or working out how to get on with them. But sloppy execution of those ideas has been what's made the show a drag the last couple of seasons.

If there’s one thing you can count on is that posters in this thread always finding the cloud in any silver lining. I thought the episode was fantastic. I will comment about it more later but I would like to say one thing which is mildly spoilery about a certain character who was in the episode.

Scott Wilson died of leukaemia on 6th October and he did get to see his final scene with Andrew Lincoln before he died. What an emotional scene from a great actor who has been in about 50 movies going all the way back to In The Heat Of The Night (1967).

I thought it was another boring episode - took a long time to get to a false unsatisfying finish to set up a set of TV movies and I struggled to pay attention. Will anyone be interested enough to watch them when they appear in a couple of years though. I think I am done at this point.

Hard to know where to start really, terrible writing, appalling direction and made little to no sense. When it goes for the huge emotional moments they just don't work anymore, and stretching them out over an entire episode has even less effect. When Rick said he was tired, I thought aren't we all mate, aren't we all. Also did they sub out the CGI this week to the work experience? It had a feeling of daytime TV in places.

And is it just me or is anyone getting a 'Lost' feel to all this now? I can see Rick appearing in the shower in a few seasons time after a terrible nightmare.

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I didn't like you very much when I met you and now I like you even less.

Look, I think the one thing we can all agree on is, the last thing The Walking Dead needs is a Rick/Michonne shower scene and as popular as it is to call out Lost I believe that reference was from Dallas. But anyway . . . earlier in the day I was questioning why I even bother posting in this thread because I’m enjoying this season and it is hard going dealing with the negativity. it remains my belief that Season 9 will be the best season of The Walking Dead going back to at least the season at the prison, hey it is already better than season 7 and we’ve only had 5 episodes. I’m still looking forward to episode 6 onwards more than episode 5. When Season 9 is over and you all have time to look at what the new show runner achieved throughout these 16 episodes I’m confident you will agree that Season 9 will be a return to form for TWD.

OK maybe I’m not that confident; I do feel like I’m posting in the adhedonic TWD thread where viewers can’t seem to, or even don’t want to enjoy their television viewing hobby. But that is fine, instead of leaving this thread on the metaphorical helicopter and keeping my positive thoughts to myself, I’ve decided to stick with this thread through to the end of the season. I’m writing off my time in this thread for the remainder of season 9 as charity work. I’m not going to abandon you all to negativity an despair - yes I’ve had a drink.

Yes I think this episode was fantastic even if Scott Gimple had co-writing credits on it and probably wants to have his grubby mits on future projects (even though he is not the show runner any longer) so I think you need to read between the lines here and I would agree that probably isn’t an entirely positive thing. My advice: forget the movies for now because I feel like it is a distraction, concentrate on the remainder of season 9 instead.

I loved all the cameo appearances from Shane, Hershel (which I have already posted about) and to a lesser extent Sasha. It is a shame Carl couldn’t have been in the episode, but I definitely think Lori wouldn’t have been appropriate. In fact having thought about it Carl would have overshadowed or undermined the whole point of Rick’s hallucinations - they are all his family.

This may have been Maggie’s final episode this season but it is possible she still might return for one more. I thought her confrontation with Negan was the weakest part of the episode although I know JDM was pleased with his acting performance in it. In the comics this confrontation happens way later than where we are in the series.

I’m liking Magna’s group and Judith saving them 6 years later was a really good introduction to her older character. I think it was Jesus who saved them in the comics. It looks like older Henry will be taking over Carl’s role (as well as Judith) but we will have to see...

Like I said I’m looking forward to the remainder of season 9 more than the first five episodes. Please try to keep an open mind and stay positive...

For me, with the budget theyíve had theyíve not managed to create an enmersive world in the slightest, terrible writing has reduced most of the actors to idiots which is a huge shame. Add in the drifting from area to area to try and create a new plot line and the whole thing has become quite dull for me.

Itís telling that it sits in the same bracket as the soaps for some people I know. It should have been so much more than that.

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I didn't like you very much when I met you and now I like you even less.

I thought it was a decent episode. The concept was cheesy but was nice to see a few old faces again. The Negan-Maggie confrontation was predictable but it did give us the best performance yet from JDM.

The big time-jump going forward should help freshen up the show, so fingers-crossed!

The flashbacks would've made sense, and had more point/impact if Rick was actually 'gone'.

However, his rescue at the end just made it another episode of padding.

Also, read elsewhere that Maggie has now gone too - yet that wasn't really hinted at in the episode, unless I missed it?

And we are now on the 2nd time jump this season.... the first had Maggies baby at about a year old, and this one has supposedly been confirmed (on The Talking Dead) as 6 years on from this episode.

Clip from next week made me laugh... Negan has had a haircut and a shave.... Carol has grown her grey hair out.... Daryl.... looked exactly the same. He clearly hasn't found his brand of shampoo in the zombie apocalypse, and the grease is stopping it growing any longer!!

Apparently the latest time jump is 6 years, so if the next episode continues with 'junior' judith, then we are now 9 years since the outbreak.

Even dafter thing, I think the 'Fear the Walking Dead' timeline also received a major leap, with Morgan Jones crossing over, but that was after his time on the main TWD series.

So the series that was intended to show us how the outbreak started, has in 4 seasons caught up with the main show.

Surely if the intention is to show different people, in different parts of the USA dealing with the new world, they could do that in the main show, and it would have felt as padded as it has for the last 4 or 5 seasons??!!

Look, I think the one thing we can all agree on is, the last thing The Walking Dead needs is a Rick/Michonne shower scene and as popular as it is to call out Lost I believe that reference was from Dallas. But anyway . . . earlier in the day I was questioning why I even bother posting in this thread because Iím enjoying this season and it is hard going dealing with the negativity. it remains my belief that Season 9 will be the best season of The Walking Dead going back to at least the season at the prison, hey it is already better than season 7 and weíve only had 5 episodes. Iím still looking forward to episode 6 onwards more than episode 5. When Season 9 is over and you all have time to look at what the new show runner achieved throughout these 16 episodes Iím confident you will agree that Season 9 will be a return to form for TWD.

OK maybe Iím not that confident; I do feel like Iím posting in the adhedonic TWD thread where viewers canít seem to, or even donít want to enjoy their television viewing hobby. But that is fine, instead of leaving this thread on the metaphorical helicopter and keeping my positive thoughts to myself, Iíve decided to stick with this thread through to the end of the season. Iím writing off my time in this thread for the remainder of season 9 as charity work. Iím not going to abandon you all to negativity an despair - yes Iíve had a drink.

Yes I think this episode was fantastic even if Scott Gimple had co-writing credits on it and probably wants to have his grubby mits on future projects (even though he is not the show runner any longer) so I think you need to read between the lines here and I would agree that probably isnít an entirely positive thing. My advice: forget the movies for now because I feel like it is a distraction, concentrate on the remainder of season 9 instead.

I loved all the cameo appearances from Shane, Hershel (which I have already posted about) and to a lesser extent Sasha. It is a shame Carl couldnít have been in the episode, but I definitely think Lori wouldnít have been appropriate. In fact having thought about it Carl would have overshadowed or undermined the whole point of Rickís hallucinations - they are all his family.

This may have been Maggieís final episode this season but it is possible she still might return for one more. I thought her confrontation with Negan was the weakest part of the episode although I know JDM was pleased with his acting performance in it. In the comics this confrontation happens way later than where we are in the series.

Iím liking Magnaís group and Judith saving them 6 years later was a really good introduction to her older character. I think it was Jesus who saved them in the comics. It looks like older Henry will be taking over Carlís role (as well as Judith) but we will have to see...

Like I said Iím looking forward to the remainder of season 9 more than the first five episodes. Please try to keep an open mind and stay positive...

I'm glad you still enjoy I, but the main problem I have is the lazy writing not helped by a never ending "wagon train" like structure with no clear goal or end in sight just goes on and on and on like a cheap soap opera. If the whole point was to survive then they could have held up in the city from season one, but no its endless travelling in open country vulnerable to zombie attack stop and then start again.

Don't watch it; you might say and yes that is an easy option but then you get a slew of Zombie based shows shoveled in the TV so there is nothing else on. That's why I think they need to end it so TV as a whole can move onto something else. Also they need to end those stupid add on shows big brother started it now even bake-off has one that's even lazier writing

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Thought it was a great episode myself, probably the best one they've had in ages with a couple of properly emotional moments. Also loved the gag about Shane being Judith's dad.

Not sure about the Negan scene though. Apparently it was genuine, but I kept waiting for him to grin to show he'd got one over on her. Lauren Cohan's accent slipped a couple of times during the episode too, which I've never noticed before.

As for the 'surprise survival' ending, it probably would have had a bit more impact if they'd waited a week or two before announcing the spin-offs starring him...

For me it was padded with all these saying goodbye to previous character scenes, just like modern Dr Who alas has done. However the Negan scene was really good as was RIck's death. Kinda feel swizzed to find out he is not leaving after all just transferring to Walking Dead movies, where he might possibly re-unite with the cast in one of them.